Nuclear reactors, principally for use in generating electricity, have become well known in the past several years. While the underlying nuclear reaction and the apparatus for controlling that reaction are well known to scientists in this field, the thermal-hydraulic behavior of the system is not well known to the operators and a substantial amount of misinformation has resulted from that lack of knowledge. Devices, both large and small, which have been used to simulate nuclear reactors in the past have been designed and built to operate like a programmed computer involving only electrical components and have lacked the flexibility and realism of heated water and steam flowing through plant components needed for such a training device. A computer readout produced by these prior devices is not as impressive as real data produced by a device operating under the scientific laws of nature. There has been a need for an actually operating device employing pumps, valves, temperature measuring devices, flow measuring devices, etc. and functioning with natural responses to various situations, and also being made of transparent materials so as to permit operations of the device and its component parts to be readily observed by the operator in training.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved means for training power plant operating personnel with respect to the operation of a complete nuclear reactor in an electric generating power plant. It is another object of this invention to provide a device for researching safety systems for such a power plant. It is still another object of this invention to provide a means for demonstrating how abnormal operation of a nuclear power plant might develop and what the consequences might be. Still other objects will appear from the more detailed description of this invention which follows.